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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything

Oh my, I accidentally took a week off! Actually, I've been sick, which as I'm sure you know is disgusting in the summertime. Oh it's 90° outside? Why not raise your internal temperature & give you a sore throat? Better now? 

Thanks to you all for casting your vote in our poll the other week. Your input really is helpful! Unsurprisingly you all want more tutorials (what, from a DIY blog? That's crazy!), so keep an eye out for more how-tos coming soon. Furniture & Home Decor tutorials were strongly requested too, which is super convenient as we're currently decorating our tiny apartment. I hope to do a home-tour soon, but right now the main home-related priority lies in the hunt for a couch. Really quickly I want to postulate how ridiculous our couch requirements are, & why two months after our move we still haven't found one. Here's what we're after (any suggestions are obviously appreciated):

1. Must be gray (figured it's be a good balance between masking white cat hair & black dog hair)
2. Must be cheap but have sturdy fabric (oh how I'd love to drop a grand on some seating just to get the hunt over with, but once kitty claws rip into the cushioning I know I'd hate myself)
3. Must fit through the door (wow are our doorways narrow)
4. Must be cotton-free (have I mentioned the dog has a cotton allergy?)

So basically our couch-hunt is 75% dependent on the needs of the furry roommates - & they don't even pay rent. Ugh. 

Happy Friday, gang!

This week's links:

• Amy Schumer is my idol & she's on fire (seriously how is she doing everything at once?)
• Women's Running magazine breaks ground by putting a plus-size gal on its cover
• Tips on hand-washing your clothes (Heather is all about hand-washing her work clothes - it extends their longevity!)
• We're slowly working our way through this list of free things to do in the Twin Cities
• This woman giving CPR to a dog is insanely heart-warming 
• More on animals - a baby dolphin's live is saved by this man & his dog 
• Check out these adorable photos from blogging-friend The Homesteady's trip to my fair city

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. Heather started her fancy new job this week, which meant putting past tutorials to work & altering a bunch of button-downs. She's so business-professional now.

out & about | date by the river

This past weekend Heather & I went down to the riverside for a date day consisting of ice cream & a movie. Apparently all the cute things in town are happening down by the Mississippi River. Cute shops, restaurants, museums, parks, & this adorable movie theater sitting along a brick road. Here are some pictures of our fun in the sun (no seriously why is it so hot I thought this was the North what is going on).

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. Out & About at Pride 2015. 

diy blackout curtains

After the second day of living in the new apartment it became very apparent that we were going to need curtains. Before we got here I had all these plans to hang flowing sheer window coverings, hanging nine feet high from floor to ceiling & blowing lightly in the summer breeze. Reality turned out to be different than my lofty dreaming, & after two days of letting in all kinds of natural light, Heather & I realized we were letting in all kinds of natural heat. Not having A/C on the second story of a well-insulated building means that all that light we were letting in was baking us alive. Yeah, it'll be great in the winter to have all that warmth, but not for the hot, hot summertime. Blackout curtains were in order.

I've told you guys before how much I love Nate Berkus (evidence here & here), so duh, I got more Berkus fabric for our curtains. The lovely lady who cut my fabric at the craft store referred to Nate Berkus as "our hometown boy," which reminded me that he's originally from Minneapolis! I promise I'm not stalking him or anything...

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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything

Settling into our new home has be difficult at times, but mainly it's been pretty exciting. There is so much I haven't seen yet! This week we spent time exploring the outdoors rather than the inner city. Heather & I took a whole day & went kayaking down the Mississippi River & then hiked along the falls. I had two thoughts as we paddled upstream: One, Minneapolis is so lush & green & gorgeous! Two, I am totally, completely, embarrassingly out of shape. My arms still feel like jell-o.

This week's links:

• This is a good summer for Netflix - comedienne Tig Notaro's documentary comes out soon!
• A literal waterfall of baby seals (yes indeed)
• This Tegan & Sara quiz had my head spinning (Heather aced it, duh)
• Look at all these useful ways to use your college diploma (it's not like I'm bitter or anything)
• Female-driven shows are dominating this year's Emmy nominations
• Claiming to be the easiest, definitely the cutest way to cut a pineapple

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.s. If you haven't voted about what you like to see here on the blog, please do! I'm going to keep the poll open for a while so you still have time to cast your vote!

tell us what you think!

Hey gang! We're approaching our 200th post (woah!), & we want to know what you think! Our readers (that's you!) are the reason this blog exists. You guys are what keep us coming up with new ideas & trying new things. You guys encourage us to be innovative & creative. Essentially, you guys rock, & we wouldn't be here without you.

While there are some facts & figures I can glean from checking the blog's stats, I want to know directly from you why you like to visit the blog. Check out the poll below to let us know what your interests are & what you look for in a blog. As always, feel free to leave a comment too!

What are your favorite types of tutorials?

Furniture & Home Decor

Recycling/Refashioning Projects

Recipes

Fashion & Style

Tutorials that teach a specific skill (how to sew, crochet, etc.)

Anything with a free pattern

Quiz Maker

What is your age range?

Under 18

18-23

24-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60+

Poll Maker

What would you like to see more of on the blog?

More tutorials!

More about your day to day life

More free graphics (i.e. iPhone wallpapers)

More of Donut & Doria!

More tips on how to do basic crafting (i.e. how to crochet)

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

Thanks for your input!

xoxo, 

- m.e. & Heather

Related // A look back at our 100th post.

simple syrup

I'm currently sipping on an icy cup of cold brewed coffee. I've been drinking nothing but ever since I figured out I could make it in my french press. My hope is to save myself some cash by not hitting up the myriad of local coffee shops in my neighborhood quite as frequently as I do (by frequently we're talking daily here, people). I like my iced coffee both sweet & unsweet, so to up my in-house coffee game I made a batch of simple syrup. It's great for sweetening cold coffee since regular sugar won't dissolve in cold liquids. Simple syrup is also great to have on hand since it's a common ingredient in mixed drinks. 

Simple syrup, as you'd expect, is simple to make. You'll need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 water

In a saucepan, combine sugar & water over medium-high heat. Stir frequently until the sugar has completely dissolved (a.k.a. mixture is completely clear). This will take about one minute after syrup has reached medium-high heat. Let cool before using, & store in the refrigerator. 

xoxo,
-m.e.


Related // Add a little homemade vanilla extract to your simple syrup for some bonus vanilla flavor.

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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything

Summer weekends are the best - they're like mini vacations inside the vacation season! While I miss my friends & family back home, I can't tell you how awesome it is not to have to deal with mosquitoes. I'm not sure if it's because we're in the city, but I have not seen a one since moving. Hooray! I hope I'll still be this happy about relocating to the midwest come January.

• I'm all over the cross stitch tattoo trend
• Solar-powered plane broke a record flying from Japan to Hawaii, which is pretty awesome
• It's time to don a summery flower crown (also still trying to get over this picture)
• My infrequent bathing habits are now backed up by science (yeah science!)
• I'm loving this cover of my current favorite song, Riptide by Vance Joy
• This DIY motivational banner is the loveliest thing
• Graphs for dog lovers!

xoxo, 

-m.e.

Related // Make yourself a big batch of this cold-press coffee seen above for your hot summer days.

fabric appliqué patching

Here's the situation: I have this denim-ish shirt that I love & wear allthefreakingtime. It's comfy & provides just the right amount of warmth when it's chilly out. Here's how much I've worn it: it used to have a pattern on it. I have literally worn the pattern out of the fabric. Oh, & most of the blue dye. It used to be about five shades darker back in its prime. The shirt has also suffered some rips & tears. The holes are too big to sew shut or patch from the inside without it being noticeable. Rather than say "goodbye" to my favorite threads, I used one really big appliqué to hide all the rips at once. In essence, I sewed more fabric on my shirt & I'm really happy about it.

I'm so glad I get to keep wearing this shirt. Oh, & I fixed it by hand, too! Partly because it was easier that way, but mostly because I wanted to sit in bed & watch House Hunters while I sewed.

Here's what I used:

• A piece of cotton fabric
• White thread
• Needle
• Scissors

Here's what I did: 

First I repaired the holes by sewing them shut with a whip stitch. It was a rough repair since the rips were so large, but the repair will keep them from getting any bigger. Next I cut a rectangle of fabric larger than the back of my shirt that I was covering. Folding the raw edges down, I pinned the fabric in place, following the original hemline of the shirt. With a straight stitch I sewed all along the edges of the fabric. Ta da!

Even if you have a button-down that doesn't need repair, a fabric appliqué can add a fun bit of flair.

xoxo, 

-m.e.

Related // Use your awesome sewing skills to alter your pants!

before the blog

I have to share this with you guys - do you ever stumble upon an old social media account or blog that you used to be a part of but totally forgot about? I love it when that happens (side note: I'm still trying to break into my old MySpace account). Before creating content for We Can Make Anything, I made my first tutorials on Tumblr. They weren't very pretty, but it's fun to look back & see how much the tutorial style has changed. The above photo is from a tutorial on how to make miniature furniture using a mold (wow that's super specific). I also did a tutorial on egg-blowing & preservation & electrical tape wiring for dollhouses (below). 

I rediscovered my former Tumblr while sorting through old e-mails yesterday. This is such a crazy time period to live in where we can flash back to the past digitally. These tutorials are too specific to be very useful, but I'm thinking I may revisit the mold-making one & create something more versatile. Ah, memories.

xoxo, 

-m.e.

Related // These tutorials are from my days as an art student - more thoughts on being an artist. 

french press cold brew coffee

French-Pressed Cold-Brewed Coffee. That's a mouthful  (...of delicious coffee, that is).

As an avid coffee drinker, my caffeination comes in seasons. In autumn I get a hazelnut or a vanilla latte. During the winter I'm all about that peppermint mocha. Springtime is still a back & forth, but summer was made for iced coffee. Since cold-press coffee is all the rage, I decided to try making a batch of my own this weekend. Um, it's delicious. & totally not acidic, which is nice. Plus I discovered that by using my french press I was able to make a huge batch with very little effort on my part. I'm definitely seeing a lot of cold-pressed coffee in my future. 

The amount of water & coffee I used was based on the rather large size of my french press. If you want to make a smaller batch, cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients // 

• 3/4 cups ground coffee 
• 4 cups cold water 

Directions // 

1. Pour coffee grounds into bottom of french press. 
2. Slowly add cold water.
3. Stir thoroughly, leaving no pockets of dry coffee grounds.
4. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 10 hours).
5. Press the filter on the french press until all coffee is filtered. Pour into a separate container & store what you don't drink in the fridge. For extra smooth coffee, run through french press a second time. 

I like my coffee with a little bit of cream in it, & this coffee is definitely good over ice. Later in the week I'm planning on making some flavored syrups to really up my in-home coffee game. Maybe I'll finally be able to reel in my addiction to coffeehouses. 

xoxo, 

-m.e.

Related // I just realized that this coffee mixed with milk & some one-step caramel sauce has the potential to be AMAZING.

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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything

I have a bunch of projects planned for our apartment. I've been pinning like a fiend & I'm dying to go shopping for a new couch (we finally live close to an Ikea, can I get an "amen"). Even though all I want to do is drain my bank account on materials & furniture, I've decided not to rush into any major design choices. While I pride myself in having an artistic eye, I'm new to the realm of home decor. With the last place Heather & I rented, we immediately started decorating the second we moved in, which as it turned out was a terrible idea. We picked the wrong colors & style, & then were stuck with it. This time around I'm trying to let my design choices marinate before moving forward. That being said, there is an apartment tour coming up in the near future, I'm just not sure how near. I'm so anxious to start decorating, but I'm trying to be a big girl & just wait a bit first.

Have a rad Independence Day weekend, everyone!

This week's links: 

• A barbecue so cute it's insane (featuring a hamster & bunny rabbit WHAT)
• Pets don't like fireworks! Keep your little buds safe & calm this weekend
• LEGO is evening out it's male-to-female ratio with some new go-getting Lego ladies
• 2015 will be the best summer ever because the new Wet Hot American Summer comes out!! 
• Realities of building & owning a tiny house (I want one)
• The U.S. Women's soccer team CRUSHED & are headed to finals WHOOP WHOOP
• The summer is heating up, so I'm going to try my hand at cold-brewed coffee this weekend 

xoxo,

-m.e.

Related // If you're gathering with friends & family this weekend, bring a gingerbread apple pie & be the most favorite guest ever.

4th of july iphone wallpapers

Let me be honest with you & say that I totally forgot about the Fourth of July. How unpatriotic, I know. I got too wrapped up in Pride celebrations! Independence Day is one of my favorites, though. I like this holiday because it's the last big one until the fall season & for me it represents the epitome of summer: barbecues, beers, sparklers, & fireworks. I don't have any plans for this 4OJ since Heather & I haven't made any friends in our new city (making friends as an adult is haaaardd, you guys). However, I didn't want to miss out on the patriotism, so I whipped up a couple iPhone wallpapers which you can download below. 

To use these wallpapers, get on your phone & click the links below to open the wallpaper you want to use. Then press down on the image until you're prompted to save it. Save & set as wallpaper!

• Firecrackers Go Boom
• Rockets at Night
• USA! USA!

I feel an extra surge of patriotism this Fourth of July. With equal rights & privileges being given to all, I feel nothing but pride for my country. Have a safe & awesome Independence Day, everyone.

xoxo,
-m.e.

Related // Six summery DIYs for you to try.